HADLEY, Mass. – The Union College men's crew team started the spring portion of its 2024-25 schedule on Saturday afternoon, earning one win and one second-place finish against Amherst College and the University of Massachusetts on the waters of the Connecticut River.
 
Dealing with cold temperatures and rain while also racing against a heavy current, Union took top honors in the second varsity 8+ race as well as placing second among the varsity 8+ boats.
 
Union started the day with a victory in the second varsity race, with the team's time of 6:45.8 good for a 13-second win over UMass' second varsity boat and a 17-second win over the Minutemen's novice boat. With first-year coxswain Erika Canaveral at the front of the shell, the winning octet included junior Josh Atkinson (bow), sophomore Reed Will (2 seat), junior Cody Morrison (3 seat), first-year Daniel Vega (4 seat), sophomore Kenny Kromer (5 seat), senior Josh Vaidman (6 seat), junior Nick Meyer (7 seat) and senior Miles Fee (stroke).
 
All three schools competed in the varsity 8 race, with Union's time of 6:49.4 coming short of UMass (6:21.0) but well ahead of Amherst (7:47.1). The Union boat consisted of senior coxswain Charlie Whiteford, senior Alex Chan (bow); sophomores Angus Hall (2 seat), Wolfgang Bodge (3 seat), Tyler Perry (4 seat) and Stuart Livingston (5 seat); and junior Erik Roberts (6 seat), Ben Stern (7 seat) and Sam Flynn (stroke).

Union will be back on the water next Saturday for the team's lone home regatta of the spring season, when the team hosts Senior Day before a matchup against Vassar College.